Taro's Blog

Although I am not familiar with Stanford Online High School (SOHS) at all, it does not sound so bad.

According to Google, “A highly selective, independent school affiliated with Stanford University, known for its rigorous college-prep curriculum and innovative learning environment. It serves a diverse student body from across the US and internationally.“

I came across to learn that N高等学校・S高等学校・R高等学校 (N/S/R High School) in Japan would also not be a bad school.

According to Google, “N High School, S High School, and R High School are new online high schools that employ an online and distance learning high school system created by KADOKAWA and DWANGO. At our online high schools, you can use ICT tools to study and efficiently acquire a high school diploma. By studying more efficiently, you can use your free time to engage in learning that will shape your future and spend more time making friends.“

The latter has 32,613 students learning remotely throughout Japan. I only hear positive reviews about ithem. Thus, I recommended that my son plan to go there. He agreed.

Now, sit down, relax, and explore some unique online high schools in the world. According to their website, THINK Global School, based in New York City, is an independent high school that travels the world with students studying in eight countries (Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Greece, India, Japan, Mexico, and Sweden), over the course of two years (2025-27).

Let’s turn our attention to other online high schools in Japan. We have a selective sports high school. 未来富山高等学校 (Mirai Toyama High School) focuses on training future baseball stars. They have 25 students learning online, and 23 of them are being trained together in baseball on-site.

The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), which exclusively broadcasts 全国高等学校野球選手権大会 (National High School Baseball Championship) in summer and 選抜高等学校野球大会 (Selected High School Baseball Tournament) in spring runs its online high school, NHK学園高等学校 (NHK Gakuen High School).

Young Men’s Christian Association (Donald Trump version, 西城秀樹 version, YMCA in short, is independent of the YWCA) operates its online high school, 東京YMCA高等学院 (Tokyo YMCA High School), in Tokyo.

屋久島おおぞら高校 (Yakushima Oozora High School) in Kagoshima offers an annual school excursion to Yakushima Island.

札幌静修高等学校 (Sapporo Seishu High School), an agricultural high school in Hokkaido, offers its 通信制課程 (Online High School) program.

For further reading, please check out this article: 東京都の通信制高校20選 (20 online high schools accessible in Tokyo).

In a parallel universe, I would be a failed train driver. I derailed a lot in my file, personally, academically, and professionally. One particular cause that derailed my professional life at an early stage was my father’s refusal to accept digital technology, especially computers and their keyboards. In other words, he, 93 years old, and I had a digital divide back in 1993-94.

In 1992, graduated from RIT with a Bachelor of Science degree in Printing and Applied Computer Science. My major was practically a double major in printing management and computer science. I wanted to take over my father’s business, a small print shop, and transform it into a computer-aided digital design firm. Use Apple Macintosh computers, phones, emails, Apple OneScanners, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress for the professional prepress, and the Indigo E-Print 1000 digital press for the professional output. Utilize the power of the PostScript language.

However, there was a major obstacle: the digital divide. My father would never understand or accept computers. As a matter of fact, he still keeps his principles. He only uses a cellular phone as a pure telephone in 2025. No text, email, music, video, or entertainment purposes. (Seriously, he should donate his brain to a research group for the advancement of scientific knowledge.)
日本の高齢者のITスキルが、世界の中でも著しく低い理由

As a trial, I lobbied hard and persuaded my father to invest JPY 1,000,000 in my proposed starter kit. The kit consisted of a copy of QuarkXPress page layout software (JPY 50,000), a Macintosh computer including peripherals (JPY 200,000), an image scanner (JPY 250,000), and a PostScript-compatible laser printer (JPY 500,000). I even won a project of language translation from English to Japanese for Apple Computer. Unfortunately, from my father’s perspective, my humble win from Apple Computer was marginal, and my attempt was a waste of money and time.

He openly criticized me in the company. He labelled me a failure. I was heartbroken. As icing on the cake, he purchased a small printing press for JPY 10,000,000, ten times more than my starter kit. That was the nail in the coffin. To soothe my pain, I had to leave my father’s company, leave Japan, head to Colorado, and join Quark, Inc. in June 1994.

参政党 (Sanseito) is the most popular populist party in Japan nowadays. Their audience is the Indifferent group, who never go to vote. Their strategy is to capitalize on unused votes from that group. Their audience is uneducated. Their audience is naive. Their audience is stupid. WTF strategy!

They recruited young, attractive women and men to represent their brand. No brain power required by them. Why do they need intelligent people to create laws and enhance the quality of life for the Japanese people? That’s the last thing they would care about. Their priority is “To develop new voters and gain their presence in the Japanese political landscape”. They know the power, money, and fame will follow. That’s their first priority. What the fuxxing whores and bastards!

Those motherfuxxers know that most Japanese people would only treat the long-term expats (residing for several decades to a century) as their guests at most, and not embrace them as their community members. In other words, you will be forever 外人 (Gaijin) in Japan.
外国人同士が「目配せ」する、日本人には言いづらい「本音」

So, they copycated uneducated Donald Trump’s “America First” slogan. They insist ”The Japanese First.” They encourage their supporters to hate foreigners, particularly the Chinese, the Koreans, and the Kurds. I am totally against it. The Japanese who lived abroad for a minimum of 3 months would agree with me.
在日外国人と日本社会の共生努力を後退させる右派の差別扇動
参政党の「日本人ファースト」は日本第一党の「日本第一主義」と同じに思える

Unfortunately, the major media only covers the news that is sensational, irritating, pornographic, and far from the facts. Those whores and bastards only wanted to sell their breaking stories. No morality whatsoever despite their we-care narrative and their broadcaster’s appears-to-be sincere presentation. Recently, I noticed that Newsweek Japan has a lot of eye-opening articles that are never mentioned by the major media. I strongly recommend that you check them out.
北欧極右の極楽浄土—日本と韓国
少年非行は増えている？NO！思い込みが事実認識を歪める
日本人は本当に「無宗教」なのか？…「灯台下暗し」身近すぎて見えないこともある
韓国スタートアップが日本へ続々進出… 官民挙げて商機を狙う背景

Advanced Semiconductor Materials, ASM for short, is a Dutch company that designs, manufactures, sells, and services equipment used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Sorry, son, that was NOT a Japanese company as I explained to you the other day. According to Wikipedia, the company has an R&D facility in 多摩市 (Tama-shi), Tokyo, Japan. The moral of the story remains the same. ASM makes money as long as the semiconductor industry flourishes.

I probably got mixed up with Kawasaki Robotics, a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a company that sells industrial robots, including those used in manufacturing other robots. Kawasaki Robotics makes money as long as the robotic industry flourishes.

I insist that we should re-educate the Japanese people on the Circular Flow of Income. The Circular Flow of Income is a part of macroeconomics. Today, we seldom hear 金は天下の回りもの (Money is not yours. Let it flow in the society) in Japan. So-called 失われた30年 (the lost30 years), commonly refers to the economic stagnation of the 1990s-2010s, has converted many nationals from democratic/capitalistic idealists to stingy/self-centered assholes. In other words, we, the Japanese, are a bunch of Scrooges.

The English readers, you are lucky. “A Christmas Carol,” written by Charles Dickens, annually reminds you of the importance of the Circular Flow of Income.

1. You work hard and earn money.
2. You use your earned money in society to buy goods and services that you need or you want.
3. Repeat 1 and 2 continuously.

Along the way, the government taxes a portion of the big flow for social services. Everyboody wins at the end.

Ironically, 清貧 (Clean-Poverty) was treated as a virtue in Japan by uneducated people. Those uneducated people insisted that the importance of saving money for the future risks that most likely never occur, and strongly opposed the circular flow of income. They find ecstasy in looking at the number increases in their passbooks. For them, the most beautiful and idealistic life would be to die as a poor person and leave the fortune in their bank accounts. They knew that leaving a big some of money would cause a dispute among their descendants. What a sweet revenge! If they don’t have any descendants, do not worry. Your government gladly accepts it as a gracious donation from you. In short, everybody loses at the end. It strongly reminds me of the importance of education, especially in macroeconomics.
汚いお金持ちは”悪”なのか？

Zipper Merge never worked in Japan, thanks to those Scrooges. They do not see or care about the big picture or the society they belong to, and only focus on their merit as a bunch of assholes. Who said “the Japanese are polite”? We, the Japanese, have merely been acting polite. It’s an act. It’s not from the bottom of our hearts. I hope my statement clarifies the mystery for some of you.
｢損をしてでも他人の足を引っ張りたい｣日本人の”底意地の悪さ”が世界で突出している根本原因
日本で車椅子利用者バッシングや悪質クレーマーがなくならない理由
日本は「世界で最も助け合わない国」、研究者が指摘する原因は「日本人の遠慮」？

Ken, you are my target audience. I am asking you to learn to put yourself in someone’s shoes. It means to try to understand another person’s feelings, thoughts, or situation by imagining yourself in their place. You lack it hopelessly.

You were late to school 19 times out of 53 days last term. That’s unacceptable. I was afraid that your classmates thought you were lazy and did not go to bed early enough. I wish you would stop staying up late and go to bed by 11 pm. Then, you can wake up at 7 am comfortably. I was so disappointed to learn that the 19 times you were late, despite my waking you up at 7 am every weekday.

You think that you always receive the brightest spotlight, and everyone is jealous of you. I have some good news to share with you. The shiny, bright spotlight you constantly receive 24/7/365 is an illusion. There is no such thing. Nobody gives you a damm. So, you can relax a bit.

However, people can spot the person without proper hygiene because they stink and smell really bad. But they will never tell that person about it. Instead, they will discuss it behind the person’s back. In short, “You should always apply deodorant after taking a bath or shower.”

You cannot waste someone’s time. Mind, they only have finite time on this planet, like you do. Respect their time. They don’t want to listen to a story that never ends. They don’t want to listen to a story that doesn’t begin with a summary. They don’t want to listen to a story that they don’t understand. If you observe their faces, you can spot their discomfort while you are talking about something that you are passionate about. Not everyone wants to learn about the event horizon of a black hole.

When you write a blog, create a TikTok short, sell a product or service, or promote tourism to your country, setting a clear target audience is crucial. I am a fan of these Ads. Tourism Australia set the target audience, or country, in these cases, clearly, hiring the Australian actors that were popular in the target country at the time, and highlight the unieque charms of Australia for their target audience in each case.

“Matesong” Tourism Australia Ad 2019—Target Adience: Poms (people of the United Kingdom, particularly England)
Starring Kylie Minogue and Adam Hills

“Shrimp on the Barbie” Australian Tourist Commission Ad 1984—Target Adience: the Americans (people of the United States)
Starring Paul Hogan

Well, the latter, they did not pick the popular Australian actor in the US because there was none in 1984. Despite being a well-known in Australia, Paul Hogan was still unknown in the US in 1984. His fame in the US skyrocketed after the “Shrimp on the Barbie” tourism campaign, which began in 1984, and the release of the movie “Crocodile Dundee” in 1986. Speaking of “Shrimp”, that’s American English. In proper Australian English, it’s called “Prawn”.

The Australians may be crossed if you keep calling Aubergine “Eggplant”, Petrol Station “Gas Station”, Lift “Elevator”, Fist Floor “Second Floor”, Aircon “AC”, Tellie “TV”, Thongs “Flip-flops”, Mate “Friend”, Brissie “Brisbane”, Tassie “Tasmania”, Arvo “Afternoon”, Rego “Vehicle Registration”, Pink Slip “Vehicle Safety Inspection Report”, G’day Love “Hello My Dear”, Aussie “OC” (should be pronounced “OZ”), Good on Ya “Well Done”, No worries “You’re Welcome”, Stuffed it Up “Messed it Up”, Brekkie “Breakfast”, or Barbie “Barbecue”.

Last but not least, on Christmas Day, unlike the Americans or Poms, the Australians first Slip-slop-slap, then throw prawns on the barbie with their mates and families, and finally go to beaches with their bathing suits on, wearing their thongs on their feet, and play beach cricket.

Continued from WTF of the Japanese Language

My last name, Abe, can be written as 阿部, 安部, 阿倍, 安倍, 阿邉, 安邊, 阿辺, 安辺, 阿武, 安武, and so on. To tell which the Kanji over the phone, I would say, アベのアは「こざとへん」の阿で、アベのベは「おおざと」の部です。 That explanation should work for the people who finished their compulsory education in Japan. By the way, the popular Prime Minister, Late Shintaro Abe’s surname was 安倍.

However, that did not work in Taiwan. So, I would say, 我叫阿部太郎 (Abu Tailang)。阿部 (Abu) 是阿部寛 (Abu Kuan) 的阿部、太郎 (Tailang) 是桃太郎 (Tao Tailang) 的太郎。Thanks to Hiroshi Abe, the famous actor who has also been popular in Asia for several decades, that explanation worked in Taiwan in the early 2000s.

I named my son 賢 (Ken) not only because I wanted him to be worthy and virtuous, but also because I found a character 阿賢 (Kenny) in a Chinese historical drama (situated in Shanghai in the 1920s) I watched in the late 2000s. So, I could call him Kenny in English, ケンちゃん in Japanese, and 阿賢 (A-Xian) in Chinese.

Last but not least, as an easiest explanation, I’d say アベの漢字は巨人の阿部監督の阿部です。 Thanks to Shinnosuke Abe (阿部慎之助), the popular baseball (野球) star, he now serves as the Manager of Yomiuri Giants (読売ジャイアンツの監督). Interestingly, the people still call 読売ジャイアンツ 「読売巨人軍」or 「巨人」for short.

That convention was invented during the WW II, where the use of the enemy language was discouraged. So, they replaed 読売ジャイアンツ with 読売巨人軍, 阪神タイガーズ with 阪神猛虎軍, ストライク with 正球, ボール with 悪球, セーフ with 安全, and so on. What a BS! Did it mean you could still play baseball, the game invented by the enemy, by just localizing its terminology, team names, and calling it Yakyu (野球)?

Well, I guess that was OK because baseball and 野球 were no longer the same sports. 茶 (Cha) was introduced from China by Buddhist monks. Then, we localized it and sublimated it to 茶道 (tea ceremony, or The Way of Tea). Baseball was introduced by the Americans; we localized it as 野球 (Yakyu), then we turned it into 野球道 (The Way of Yakyu). Didn’t you know that Ichiro (イチロー) was a black belt (黒帯) in The Way of Yakyu (野球道) and holds the rank of eighth dan (八段)? In the early 2000s in Taiwan, I was surprised to learn that Ramen (日式拉麺) was a Japanese dish, not Chinese. It was a Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance moment for me.

Continued from MythBusters #3
OK, it even puzzled me, a native Japanese speaker. See the examples below. They are not consistent.

おおたぎり　大田切　OTAGIRI
The characters are 大 and O

太田切橋南
The character is 太

おおたぎりがわ　OOTAGIRIGAWA
The characters are OO

豊田 can be called Toyoda, or Toyota
山崎 can be called Yamazaki, or Yamasaki
菅野 can be called Kanno, or Sugano
菅 can be called Kan, or Suga
河野 can be called Kawano, or Kono
渡部 can be called Watabe, or Watanabe
新田 can be called Nitta, or Arata
木暮 can be called Kogure, or Kigure
東 can be called Higashi, or Azuma

There is a place name 東あずま (Higashi Azuma) in Sumida-ku, Tokyo. It’s written 東東 in the Chinese language. It’s crazy, as in Adam Lambert said, ”The weather here in Australia is just crazy” in 2020 at the Fire Fight Australia concert. I am not making it up.

Last but not least, 東東 (East East) in the Chinese language means “thingamabob“. 東西 (East West) in the Chinese language also has the same meaning and is more commonly used than 東東. In Tokyo, there is a metro line called 東西線 (Tozai Line). The Tozai Line has a station called 西葛西 (Nishi Kasai). If you look into the characters of 西葛西, they are “West Kudzu West”. I am getting dizzy. I will stop here.

“For relaxing time…make it a Suntory time”

Yamasaki Corporation is known for furnace construction

Searching for Susie-chan (Yamazaki Baking)

Continued from MythBusters #2

Sorry son, it turned out that you were correct, I was wrong. The case was reopened and the verdict went to your favor.Please see the link below.
History of the Toyota Logo